The United States ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills (Jr.), has reaffirmed that the solid working relationship between the United States government and the Commission of Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) would continue to achieve significant success in the fight against economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption.
He said this in Abuja on Tuesday when he directed a delegation of the United States mission in Nigeria in a familiarization visit to the Executive President of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, at the corporate headquarters of the Commission.
“I am grateful for the relationship we have through our legal aggregate and with these other offices here. The United States government firmly supported the creation of EFCC when it was established and our relationship has continued since then. Today I am here to learn a little about what are the president's priorities so that the EFCC advances; What considers the key trends in the financial crimes that it is addressing and how the US government and the mission of the United States can help it, either with the exchange of information or the exchange of experience, a closer cooperation in specific cases, ”he said.
Explaining even more, Mills pointed out that “part of the reason why we are so interested in these problems is because they affect our countries and affect what we are both trying to do, which is to create a safe and prosperous Nigeria and build our economies, both the United States and the Nigerians,” he said.
Olukoyede, who was delighted with the visit, made the delegation in a brief tour of the EFCC mandate. “In the EFCC, our mandate is to combat economic and financial crimes not only to avoid them. We have a mandate to prevent, to investigate and where it has also occurred to process and, by extension, we also recover assets in the course of our work, which are in one way or another, subject to the directive of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), led by the President to administer them.
Although he acknowledges that Nigeria, over the years, has had a beneficial relationship with the United States government and its agencies in EFCC's efforts to disinfect the country's financial space, Olukoyede expected an amplified relationship with the United States government and the mission of the United States in Nigeria to improve the results in the fight against corruption and financial crimes.
“The relationship between the United States and Nigeria in relation to the fight against financial crimes is based and has been a very strong synergy and a mutually beneficial collaboration. Nigeria and America have had mutual cooperation, particularly in the area of the fight against financial crimes. And we hope to build, strengthen and lead to the next level, ”he said.
He directed for his best support and collaboration that emphasized that “support is necessary, especially in the areas of technology, collection and exchange of intelligence and development of human capital.” We recognize the fact that most of the work we do is promoted by intelligence. And when we talk about intelligence, we are talking about technology. Therefore, we need your support in that area. And I also need it in the development of capacities, collaboration, information and intelligence exchange, which is very important. And we are requesting that the United States need to correspond by attending our requests on time because we notice that it may consider its laws and all that. We will only want to accelerate your response to some of our requests. We would really appreciate if you can improve that during your mandate, ”he said.
Speaking more, the head of the EFCC revealed some of his recent efforts to stop the fraud of visas that raise an endless challenge for foreign missions in the country. “Last year, I established the Visa and Immigration Fraud section at EFCC and we have its desktop in all our zonal offices to deal with the problems that have to do with organized visas crime and immigration fraud. It is a dedicated desk that works 48 hours. And we will have good results. Therefore, we also need your support in that area in the exchange of information and intelligence with us and in technology and devices with which you can support us. The Nigerian government is willing to collaborate more with the United States government to work more for the mutual interests of both countries, ”he said.
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